Question Hello sir, here's my situation. I am starting up a Moving & Storage company. Moving and storing household goods, mostly locally. My company is heaquartered in Indianapolis, IN. All operations will be conducted in Florida. The reasoning behind this is mainly insurance as the rates in Florida are much more expensive than the Indianapoilis area.
In regards to proper paperwork, licenses and such, so far I have a Federal ID number and thats all. How is it that I go about aquiring the proper number, licenses, and anything else that I would need to operate a legitimate business in Florida. I'm sure we'll get loads that travel out of state and I do plan on operating out of the state of Florida as well. For the most part, it will be all local work, with the occasional trip to a nearby state.
AnswerHello, Tim. For starters, I'm assuming that you just need help on the trucking side of it. If you need help, as far as the business, you can go to www.sunbiz.org and register your company in Florida. I had a lawyer specializing in corporations file all my paperwork with the state of Florida, it was well worth the money. If you can find a Florida lawyer specializing in trucking companies, you'll be even better off.
As far as trucking side of things, you might want to just go to a web site like www.truckingstartupservice.com. They can give you a run down of all the permits you'll need. There are many sites that offer this service, so shop around and find the best deal.
Any motor vehicle or freight broker operating for hire across state lines. In other words, if you're operating (for-hire) outside the state your business is located then you need ICC Interstate Authority.
STEPS FOR AUTHORITY
1. File for the USDOT#.
2. File the OP-1 to obtain an MC#.
3. File the BOC-3 with the FMCSA.
4. File the necessary insurance or surety bond.
5. Wait 10 days for the "protest period" to complete.
6. Certificate of Authority is granted.
7. Broker Authority is now legal for operations.
8. Truck Authorities (Common or Contract) must file Single State Registration (SSRS) with your base state.
9. After recieving the RS-3, you are now legal to begin operations.
10. Keep a copy of the RS-3 in each vehicle.
The biggest thing is let everyone know that you will be transporting household goods. You have some different rules than a regular trucking company.
For example...
Trucking Companies engaged in the transportation of household property on a for-hire basis must obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the ICC, must publish and file a list of their services and prices (in a document referred to as a Tariff).
A good permit service can help get you legal and help with insurance. I would use a lawyer just to make sure on that he oversees everything and registers you with the state of Florida. Also, if your going to be based out of Florida, contact the Florida DOT about requirements for drivers. Make sure they get drug tests, you have all the necessary paperwork on them, you save their log books, etc. If a driver gets into an accident, you don't want the DOT knocking on your door!
Good luck!
Bob Stephens
